Home is Where the Heart is
by Midnightkid02
Summary: After the Battle of Jachin Due, Kira and Lacus came to terms with their feelings and decided to restart their lives on Orb. Before moving in with Reverend Malchio and the orphans, the young couple built their dream home. But what happened to it? K/L


**I departed from my usual dark themes that I'm used to writing and experimented with light humor and a gentler overall feel for this short story. I always questioned what became of Kira and Lacus between SEED and DESTINY. One thing I wondered was 'Did they always live with Reverend Malchio and the Orphans during the 2 years between the two seasons?' This is set a few months after Gundam SEED.**

After months of bloody battles and millions of lives lost, the Battle of Jachin Due marked the end major conflicts between the warring Earth Alliance and ZAFT Forces. With the easing of tension and hostilities , the world found no need for the heroes who fought so hard to end the conflict. Fulfilling his promise to the pink-haired beauty, Kira returned to Lacus after the battle, where they both came to terms with their feelings for each other. With her father dead and with his family and friends back on Orb, the young couple decided to restart life together on the neutral nation of Orb.

"Oh Kira, this house is perfect." Lacus said with a bright smile as she tightened her grip around Kira's arm. Looking at the house from a distance, the couple admired weeks of patience and hard.

"I agree Lacus, it really is something isn't it." Kira replied, resting his head on top of hers. The two story white house sat atop of a cliff along then western coast of Onogoro Island. The house itself was rather simple, providing the couple a practical, yet comfortable place to live. It was a change for Lacus, who spent her life living in Mansions that easily dwarfed the house. But the modest arrangements was the result of her and Kira's mutual decision.

What made this house more special was below the surface however. Built on top of a limestone cave, the couple had a hanger built for the recently reconstructed Freedom to be housed at, fulfilling one of the only requests Kira made. After the hanger was completed, the house was built atop of it, allowing the Freedom's locations to remain veiled in secrecy.

Walking back into the house, Kira and Lacus made their way into the living room to begin unpacking the boxes that piled high one on top another. One by one, Kira opened up and moved the boxes, Lacus delegating and assisting him moving each box to where they belonged. After a few hours, the living room looked less cluttered and Lacus decided it was time to prepare for dinner.

"Kira, I think we should call it a day. I'll go ahead and get dinner started." Lacus said with a bright smile, looking into the violet eyes of her love.

"That sounds good Lacus, but I'm gonna head down to the hanger really quick to do some work on the Freedom." Kira replied while making his way towards his blue eyed love.

Lacus pouted and wrapped her arms around Kira's waist. "I really wish you would stop all that Kira. There isn't any reason to do that anymore. But if that's what you want to do, then I won't stop you. " Lacus said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "Just be sure to come back in an hour, dinner should be ready by then." she added, looking up into his eyes.

"Thanks Lacus!" Kira replied with excitement. Wrapping his arms around her, Kira lowered his face to hers and gave her a hasty kiss on the cheek. Looking into her eyes with a smile, Kira let go of Lacus and walked down to the hanger while Lacus walked into the kitchen to start dinner.

An hour and a half had passed since Lacus left Kira to his work and her normally exceptional patience was wearing thin. _'Kira Yamato… you are going to get it.' _Lacus thought with a huff. Wanting to make the dinner extra special since it would be their first night in the house since it was complete, Lacus went the extra mile to make sure everything was perfect. Blowing out the candles that was centered on the table, Lacus stomped down the hall and into the coat closet, where the secret door to the hanger was located.

Opening up the false door behind several jackets, Lacus made her way down the depths of the sterile and well-lit stairwell, intent on giving the brown hair boy a piece of her mind. Reaching the hanger blast door, Lacus marched over to the security interface and looked into the retina scanner. With a beep confirming the scan, she entered her password on the keypad of the device.

The one foot thick, triple reinforced blast door hissed open, as Lacus marched into the cavernous hanger. The Freedom stood proud and tall, a testament to the genius of modern engineering. Stomping across the catwalk that was level with the Freedom's torso, Lacus marched towards the cockpit. Climbing up a ladder and onto the chest of the mobile suit, Lacus peeked her head into the open cockpit and immediately began scolding the late boy.

"Kira Yamato! You've better have an explanation as to why you're thirty-minu…" Lacus stopped mid-sentence when she saw the sleeping form of the boy she loved, curled up in the cockpit seat. The frustrated emotions she harbored earlier immediately dissipated and was replaced with tender love and care. crawling closer to the sleeping form, Lacus began to rock Kira trying to wake him." Kira… Kira…"

Kira started to stir and his eyes slowly opened to the sight of his pink-haired maiden. "La…cus? What… What are you doing here?" the boy groggily asked.

"Silly, dinner as ready half an hour ago. When you didn't return, I took it upon myself to find you." Lacus replied with a smile. "If you were tired, you should have let me know Kira, I would've understand."

Placing his arms around her waist, Kira pulled Lacus onto his lap and rested his head on her arm. "I'm sorry Lacus, I was a little tireder than I thought, with all that moving and everything." Kira said while stifling a yawn.

Kissing his forehead, Lacus looked into the Violet-eyed boy's eyes. "That's okay, I didn't realize I overworked you. Just head upstairs Kira and go to bed.

Looking at the glowing screen, Kira shook his head. "It'll have to wait Lacus, the Freedom needs to be shut down." Moving his hand onto the keyboard, Kira began to type when a gentle hand placed on top of his stopped him.

"It's alright Kira, I'll do it for you. Just head upstairs and get some rest." Lacus suggested, a smile plastered on her face.

Kira looked at her with a puzzled expression. "But Lacus, It'll only be a few minutes and it's a tad bit complicated…"

"No buts Kira, go upstairs and get some rest this instant!" Lacus replied with motherly instinct. Softening her voice, Lacus looked at the flashing display and buttons that littered the Freedom's cockpit. "Besides, it can't be all that complicated."

"But…" Kira pleaded.

"Kira Yamato! Bed… Now!" Lacus replied sternly. With a sigh, Kira complied with Lacus' order and gave his love a kiss goodnight. With a blush and a smile, Lacus waved him off before looking at the complex controls of the Mobile Suit.

"Now… Which one is the off switch?" Lacus questioned. Randomly pressing a big yellow button above her, Lacus jumped in surprise as the Cockpit hatch sealed with a hiss, sealing the Pink-haired princess inside. "Oh dear, maybe this wasn't a good idea."

With only the ambient light of the diagnostic screen giving her light, Lacus proceeded to press another button at random, this time a square green one in the front console. The Gundam's eyes flickered to life and the monitors inside the cockpit turned on.

"This isn't good, not good at all." Lacus looked around and tried to stay as calm and collected as possible. Seeing a red square button labeled 'disconnect' she hovered her slim finger over the switch _"This should disconnect the power…"_. Pressing it down, the hoses and cables connected to the Freedom disconnected, freeing the mobile suit from being tethered down to the hanger.

"Oh boy, I am way in over my head. What am I to do?" Lacus said aloud nostalgically. Deciding that one of the buttons had to be the off switch, She began pressing more buttons randomly and at a faster rate. Soon the Freedom's Phase Shift Armor engaged, the targeting systems were enabled, and the weapon safeties were disabled.

"None of these buttons were the correct ones." Lacus signed with a huff, blowing her pink locks out of her face. Looking around the panel, Lacus' attention was grabbed by a single red button that was surrounded by a box of yellow and black slash marks. "This has to be it!" Lacus said with a cheerful smile.

Pushing the button, a second display popped out from behind the forward panel in front of the confused beauty. The new round screen began to glow as little blips appeared on the display and beeping noises filled the cockpit. Looking at the main monitors, Lacus watched in horror as the targeting system began to place red boxes everywhere around the hanger.

"Kira is not going to like this." Lacus said with a tinge of panic in her voice. Seeing another button on the panel opposite of the one she just pressed, Lacus hoped that the red button that was covered by a plastic shield would prove to be the off button she had been looking for. With hope in her sky blue eyes, Lacus lifted the plastic safety cover, held her breath, and pressed the button.

Athrun and Cagalli were a few miles from Kira and Lacus' new home, driving to pay a visit to the young couple and drop off a house warming present. Looking out the window, Cagalli smiled at her male companion. "The stars are beautiful tonight, don't you agree Athrun?"

Paying attention more to the road, Athrun stole a quick glance to the sky, taking in the view. "You're right Cagalli, it is beautiful." Athrun replied with a smile.

The dark, star-filled horizon that they have been admiring suddenly glowed in the distance. Brilliant flashes of purple, green, red, and white of light emanated in every direction, originating from the same loaction as the house.

"What the hell was that?" Cagalli shouted. After a few seconds, the flashes disappeared, only to be replaced by a giant flaming mushroom cloud.

Inside the Freedom, Lacus looked around at the destruction around her. The hanger was completely obliterated and the house that they had built lay crumbled around the feet of the mobile suit, collapsing into the cave that the hanger was built in. _"Kira's not going to be happy…"_ Lacus thought.

Coughing up a fit, said boy pushed off pieces of the house away from him. Looking up, Kira gazed at the daunting mobile suit in front of him. "What the hell?" Kira exclaimed, completely panicked.

"Ahh, I see I found the speaker button. Can you hear me Kira dear?" Lacus' voiced boomed from the Freedoms speakers.

"Lacus? What did you do?" Kira shouted, more worried for Lacus' safety than the total destruction of their house.

Worried about his reaction to the situation, Lacus attempted to explain herself. "Well, after I sent you off to bed, I tried to shut down your mobile suit." she replied, her voice breaking from hesitation and worry. "Well, I tried every button, but my efforts proved unsuccessful."

Crossing his arms with one hand tucked under his chin, Kira looked lost in thought until he snapped his finger and replied. "Do you see the mouse like control on the right arm rest? It should be a track ball with two buttons in front."

A few seconds passed until Lacus replied. "Why yes, I found it Kira!"

With a smile, Kira continued to guide Lacus in her efforts. "Alright, that mouse controls the diagnostic screen in front of you. See it?"

Another couple of seconds passed before the excited voice of the pink-haired princess boomed over the ruin. "Yes, the little arrow on the screen is indeed moving Kira!"

Trying to stifle a laugh at her cute childlike behaviour, the brown-haired boy continued to walk her through the steps. "Alright, now you have to pay attention, this is very important. After you shut down, you have to pull the yellow handle above you. This will open the cockpit so you can get out. Did you get that Lacus?" Immediately, Lacus complied with his instructions.

"Alright, using the mouse, drag the arrow to the buttom left of the screen and click the little picture with the left button." Kira shouted towards the mobile suit.

A few seconds passed while Kira patiently waited for his pink haired love to navigate the Freedom's operation system. Finally, her voice echoed through the hanger ruin. "I did it Kira, a menu popped up on the left side of the screen!" Lacus replied, obvious excitement in her voice.

With a smile, Kira looked up at the Gundam. "alright, hover the mouse over the 'shut down' button and click it with the left button.

After a minute, the Freedom's color faded to gray and it's eyes dimmed off. The Cockpit hatch unsealed and a very excited Lacus popped up, riding the elevator like seat. "I'm very sorry about that Kira!" Lacus hollered at the boy below her.

His facial features relaxing, the boy looked up at the girl and smiled. "It's okay Lacus, as long as none of us were hurt, then everything is okay! We can always rebuild the house just the way we want it!" Kira shouted.

Looking up at the mobile suit, the brown-haired boy waited patiently for Lacus to respond. After a few seconds, the Pink-haired princess looked down at her violet-eyed love and smiled softly. " That sounds lovely Kira." Lacus' features hardened as her face became flustered. "You don't suppose Reverend Malchio would mind if we stayed with him for a little while, do you?" Lacus asked with a nervous chuckle.

**A/N - and that's the end of that. =) R/R would be nice.**


End file.
